http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070913-nintendo-stays-on-top-while-microsoft-sells-the-most-madden-in-this-months-npd-numbers.html

Nintendo remains dominant in this month's NPD numbers

By Ben Kuchera | Published: September 13, 2007 - 08:38PM CT

The August console and game sales numbers for the United States are in from the NPD Group, and while there are a few things worth remarking on, overall the trends we've seen since the beginning of the year continue. Nintendo is dominating the business, the Xbox 360 does well but unspectacular, and the Sony business is kept afloat by the PlayStation 2 and the PlayStation Portable while the PlayStation 3 flounders.
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Nintendo

Hail to the king. Yesterday, the Financial Times reported that the Wii is now the number one selling console in the world. This month the hardware sales stay steady with the Wii selling 403,600 units, and the Nintendo DS close behind with 383,200 units. That means in its lifetime the Nintendo Wii has sold 4 million units in the US, while the Nintendo DS has sold 12.7 million units.

Nintendo is also moving software at a brisk rate: Wii Play continues to sell amazingly well and takes the number five slot in software sales this month, while Metroid Prime 3: Corruption holds the number six slot, Mario Strikers: Charged has the number seven slot, and Mario Party 8 holds the number nine slot. It's good to be Nintendo. It has the two best-selling systems, and four of the top ten software slots for the month not only being held by games for their system, but by first-party games exclusively. It's hard to say how the company could possibly be more successful.
Microsoft

Microsoft has arguably the best selection of games in this generation so far and continues to move systems at a steady, if slightly stodgy, pace. The Xbox 360 sold 276,700 units this month, for a lifetime installed base of 6.3 million. To show just how far the tables are turning, this is the first time a non-Sony system has had the best sales numbers in the Madden franchise, as this month the 360 version Madden NFL 2008 is the best-selling console game, coming in at number one with 896,6000 units sold. Amazing. BioShock comes in at number 3 on the charts; the only other Xbox 360 game in the top ten.
Sony

Sony is still enjoying strong sales of its PlayStation 2 hardware; consumers bought 202,000 PS2s, giving the system an installed base of 39.1 million(!). The PlayStation Portable is also doing relatively well with 151,200 units sold this month, moving its installed base to 8.3 million units. The PlayStation 3 couldn't keep its sales momentum however, as sales dropped to 130,600 units this month, down from last month's 159,000. The system has a US installed base of 1.75 million units.

Sony may see a jump in its PSP business as the new, slim systems become readily available, although the TV-out cables for the hardware remain elusive. Sony needs a big hit for the PlayStation 3, and with Lair proving to be a disappointment, the next big software release, Heavenly Sword, has a lot riding on it.

Microsoft is of course going to see a boost in sales when the impossibly-hyped Halo 3 is released later this month, a game that has both sublime commercials and nearly tragic cash-ins associated with it.

Nintendo, as always, laughs from its huge pile of money.

http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2007/09/12/financial-times-nintendo-wii-is-now-the-best-selling-console-in-the-world

Financial Times: Nintendo Wii is now the best-selling console in the world

By Ben Kuchera | Published: September 12, 2007 - 06:35PM CT

The warning signs were there, but no one expected it to happen this soon. The Financial Times is reporting that the Nintendo Wii is now the number one selling console in the world, even though the Xbox 360 enjoyed a full year head start. Based on sales data from the NPD Group, Enterbrain, and GfK, here is how the console sales break down:

* Nintendo Wii: 9 million units
* Xbox 360: 8.9 million units
* Playstation 3: 3.7 million units

Combine that with the epic sales of Nintendo's DS portable, and it looks my childhood, when Nintendo dominated the marketplace. Nintendo is also enjoying rapid sales of its first-party games, so all those Wiis aren't sitting in people's homes going hungry.

It may be time to rethink what the mass market is actually looking for in a videogame system.

Ah, but you'll also note that the XBox 360 still has outsold the Wii in the US by over two million units. Screw japan.

Also the 360 sold more units than the ps2 for the first time. Can't wait to see the september numbers.

Ah, but you'll also note that the XBox 360 still has outsold the Wii in the US by over two million units. Screw japan.

Also the 360 sold more units than the ps2 for the first time. Can't wait to see the september numbers.

Its pathetic that the PS had such a sales decline. Although, a lot of that is due to Sony's fake price reduction.

You might as well and go ahead and add a million consoles sold for 360 in two weeks.

To me these numbers don't mean shit. Game developers care about them a little but not really. The hardcore game developers are pretty much only concerned with the 360 and PS3 sales numbers because they know that half of the Wiis out there are owned by soccer moms and retirement homes. I think it's amazing that Nintendo is back on top, but in my opinion they're not really back on top in regards to gamers because the 360 and PS3 are what true gamers are playing.


And before anyone tries to tear me apart, let me point out that I've always been a huge Nintendo fanboy, I slept outside a Best Buy to get a Wii on launch day and Mario Galaxy and SSBB are my two most wanted games. I just feel like Nintendo is losing ground in this generation with true gamers.

that depends on what you consider a "true gamer."

true gamer- noun- one who only plays games that have the best graphics, the best physics, and is the most expensive.

damn, according to this definition, you're right.

i think it's great that the wii is number 1 in sales. after seeing the specs, both microsoft and sony laughed behind closed doors, as well as everyone else who is a gamer... i think nintendo's earned it. an "inferior" system, with little hype when compared with the other two is DOMINATING both of them.

way to go nintendo!

i have a solution for sony that would counter xbox's halo 3... A REMAKE OF FINAL FANTASY 7. there's a million PS3's sold in a month.

Heres the way I see it.

Friend A: Say, wanna get a 360?

Friend B: gee, I don't know, it does cost a lot

Friend A: how about a Wii?

Friend B: for only 250? I'm there.


Really it just comes down to the Wii being cheaper and the Japaneses loving small consoles and everything else smaller than their thumb (it has to do with the penises I tell ya)

If a console sells a lot doen't mean its great it means that the public is stupid easily influenced by the mainstream media. The Wii will never be on the same level with 360 and ps3 hell if it can compete with psp

you really think the mainstream media is saying the wii is the best system? please..........

Well today I got to finally play a Wii for the first time. In our local mall there was a nintendo booth with plenty of consoles to demo. I got to try Wiiplay. Let me say that from my 20 minutes of play time I am not impressed. The contols really do feel gimmicky at best and I don't see them holding the same affect after a month or so. I really don't understand what all the insane hype is truly about.

Honestly, are these numbers even suprises anymore?

For the same reason why Dragon Quest is Japan's best selling game as opposed to Halo or something, Japanese consoles will always outsell consoles that we Americans call better (although we are usually right)

The Wii to me is just a big gimmick to brain wash non gamers to buy there consoles. Im not anti nintendo, I actually grew up with nintendo, but it is what it is. Im just so glad the Wii will have controller support for SSBM, thats the only reason I will be buying the Wii............and Galaxys..................and Zelda games. :cool:

you really think the mainstream media is saying the wii is the best system? please..........

If the media talking th time about how many consoles the wii has sold then there might be people who mught think that its the best console fall into the delusion. Personally i hate the wii totaly hate it its just way to much outdated with other consoles and dont like a bit the controls nor the games they are either ports from other consoles, kiddo games, or some mario to plummer idiot stuff. Only good thing as far as i heard is the zelda series thats all

After all the games for hard-core players have come out, what is there to play? Anything?

blah, blah, blah... online play... blah blah blah... HD... blah, blah, blah... 3rd party support...blah, blah, blah... no pokimon (thank god)...blah, blah, blah... don't have to rely on Mario for everygame...blah, blah, blah... easy to develop games for... blah, blah, blah... plays dvds...blah, blah, blah... connects to msn messenger...blah, blah, blah... web cam... blah, blah, blah... supports media center... blah, blah, blah...

shall I go on?

Might I suggest another thing?

A BETTER CONSOLE ALTOGETHER!!

See there are only a couple reasons I bough a Wii: Mario, Zelda, Metroid and most importantly for me SSBB, also I am a nintendo fan and pretty much grew up on nintendo

the only problem with the wii is the same as the PS3... there aren't enough games for it. zelda was amazing, and games are becoming better and better with the wii remotes... madden 07 was awesome, minus no multiplayer... which honestly really pissed me off.

i don't think the wii is a gimmick for anything. i have a PS2 and my PC, which is what i play most games on. i got a wii in february and don't regret it at all. while i will admit, it needs more games, and the big games coming out right now (metroid) i'm not interested in at all, i can tell that in time, games are going to be coming out that are awesome on it.